YREKA – The death of a man whose remains were recovered from Yreka Creek in November 2012 has been ruled a homicide, stated the Yreka Police Department (YPD). The victim was identified as Christopher Scott Schafer, age 43.

YPD Sgt. Mark Gilman stated that Schafer was a transient who had been arrested multiple times for minor violations. According to Siskiyou County online court documents, over the past few years he had been arrested for charges such as public intoxication, possession of marijuana and failure to provide a rabies vaccination to his pet.

Schafer's body was discovered partially submerged in Yreka Creek at the north end of Yreka by two citizens on Nov. 23, 2012.

"Officers from the Yreka Police Department responded and located the remains of a human body," said YPD Chief Brian Bowles. "Due to extensive decomposition, identification and cause of death were not immediately apparent."

With the assistance of the Shasta County Coroner's Office and the Chico State Human Identification Lab, the body was identified. While Schafer's death has been ruled a homicide, the exact cause of his death is still under investigation.

YPD stated that several suspect leads have been developed since the location of Schafer's body, and the department is actively investigating this case.

Anyone with information about this case is urged to call YPD Det. Nick Friden at 841-2313.